


Last to Know

by MistressofYaoi



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: AU where Oswald never killed Isabella, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, F/M, Gaslighting, I don't like Isabella, Isabella is a bitch, Love Triangle, M/M, Mental Illness, One Sided Love, Other, Pining, Rough Sex, Self Harm, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, except to the one being pinned for, not so secret pinning, there is more than one, this story won't be for everyone, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-01-05 04:46:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18358904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressofYaoi/pseuds/MistressofYaoi
Summary: When Mayor Cobblepot collapses mid-interview due to a seizure and is rushed to Gotham General Hospital it is revealed that he is sitting on death's door and that the reason he is there is due to his own self-destructive behaviour but as more of the last few months are slowly put together could it be that there is someone out there manipulating all those involved?





	1. Breaking News

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be dealing with a lot of heavy subject including depression, self-harm, suicide and gaslighting. If you are not ok with these themes then don't read this fic, because of the themes brought up in this fic I will be moderating all comments.

It was one of those moments, in Gotham history where you remember where you were when the story broke.

“We are standing outside Gotham General Hospital where just minutes ago Mayor Cobblepot was rushed after collapsing mid-interview from what witnesses are describing as a seizure. We have yet to hear any confirmation if this is the case but we have been told that the doctors are doing everything they can to stabilize the Mayor. We will stay with this breaking story throughout the night and keep you all updated, but I think I speak for many residents of our city when I say our prays are with our mayor who has done so much for our city.”

Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock had been catching up over drinks at their favorite bar. When the story broke the bar had gone deadly silent as the barman turned up the volume on the television. Images flashed on the screen of the mayor being interviewed, he looked exhausted and then suddenly started convulsing in the chair before collapsing the before the screen faded to black and then cut to the reporter standing out front of the hospital.

“Holy fuck, I never liked the little weasel but never would have wished going out like that on anyone…” mumbled Harvey

“He’s not dead yet Harvey” growled Jim, slightly annoyed at Harvey’s nonchalant reaction to the mayor of the city being rushed to the hospital.

Victor Zsasz had been enjoying a rare night off, he had no work that night but it had been a busy month so he was enjoying a quiet night at home with the girls. Which meant he was sitting on the couch in front of the television his usual weapons laid out and pulled apart on the coffee table in front of him as he gave everything a thorough clean and tune-up. The television was muted due to the fact the girls had some pretty decent music for once playing in the other room and he had decided he wanted to listen and whistle along while he worked. He stopped however when he saw Mayor Cobblepot on the television and remembered he had an upcoming interview. Strange that was not meant to be aired tonight. Then he saw the Breaking News flashing at the bottom of the screen and the events of the interview and his breath caught in his throat as he watched the man collapse.

“Damnit, I told him to stop...you fucking idiot, is he really worth this boss?” he mumbled to himself as several of the girls came running in asking if he had seen the news story.

The mayor’s collapse mid-interview was all anyone was talking about that night at The Sirens and that is how Barbara and Tabitha had heard the news. Tabitha had made a snide remark and attempted to joke about it with Barbara, but to her surprise, there was a look of worried sadness on the blonde's face, in fact, she could have sworn Barbara looked like she was about to start crying. Later that night when the doors were closed Tabitha pulled her aside.

“You don’t seem all that surprised by this news Barb, what are you not telling me?”

Barbara refused to answer her and just turned away storming off to her office and mumbling something about having to call Victor. This left Tabitha even more confused, since when had Barbara been on speaking terms and first name basis with Victor Zsasz?

Tabitha did not see Butch that night either, which was very strange because they had promised to meet up after the club closed. It felt like everyone knew something she was not in on and that something involved the mayor of Gotham.

Edward Nygma was cuddled up on the couch with his wonderful girlfriend Isabella that night. They had decided to stay in with takeout and watch a movie on the television that night and he could not be happier with how his life was at the moment. He had a wonderful job working as the mayor’s right-hand man where he was treated with respect and got to work with his best friend in the world Oswald and at night he got to come home to his new apartment and spend time with his wonderful girlfriend Isabella. Life was just so perfect for him.

As the movie came to an end Edward excused himself to the bathroom and left Isabella there on the couch, she stretched and reached for the remote control to change the channel only to stop when a breaking news story came on about the mayor collapsing. If Edward saw this he would no doubt rush off to the hospital to make sure his ‘friend’ was ok, but he did not know his friend had feelings stronger than friendship towards him. Isabella did, however, and she was not about to lose her Edward to this horrible little man. As she heard the toilet flush, her mind made up she turned the television off before Edward returned.

“Nothing on you want to watch?” he asked as he came back out to find her sitting in dark room.

“You know I’m not really one for watching television, besides it’s been such a nice evening I thought we could move things to the bedroom” she smirked up at him as she stood and took hold of his wrist and lead him to the bedroom.

Edward didn’t learn of the news of Oswald until the next morning as his phone went off on the bedside table, it was a phone call from Butch.

“Where the hell are you Bean-pole?”

“Umm I’m still in bed…” he mumbled a sleepy reply “That is what people tend to be doing at…” He looked over at the digital clock on the other side of the bed that read 3:03 am “It’s just after 3 in the morning” he finished with a yawn.

“Holy shit, you don’t know do you?” came a surprised response on the other end of the phone.

“Know what?”

“Oswald was rushed to hospital last night, he had a seizure.”

 

~to be Continued


	2. Better off Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone reacts and Edward is in denial

6 Months Earlier

 

Oswald sat alone by the fireplace that night nursing one of many glasses of whiskey in his hand. He had lost count hours ago how many glasses he had had or for that matter how many hours had truly past by. He just stared blankly at the auburn liquid in the glass, his eyes red and puffy as the tears continued to fall.

It was better this way, Edward finding someone else to love. His friend was truly happy and what right did he really have to take that away from him? Could he make him as happy as she obviously did? Probably not. For all he knew Edward did not even look at men the same way he looked at a woman. He did not even know how Edward felt about men who liked other men. Maybe the thought of such a thing disgusted him? Would Edward be disgusted in him if he knew how he felt about him?

She knew how he felt about Edward and she was willing to fight him to keep Edward. If he did fight her, he would easily win. It would be so easy to get someone like her out of the way. She wasn’t anyone special. It would be as simple as having someone like Butch just cut the line on her breaks, only she was special to someone. She was special to Edward. He would miss her, mourn for her and if he ever found out it was Oswald who had had her done in, he would never most likely never forgive him or worse. He would hate Oswald. No, he could not live with Edward hating him and besides he would be safer with Isabella than he ever would be with Oswald.

Those he loved most dearly, always suffered in the end because of his love for them. His mother was tortured by the Galavan siblings only to be killed before him. Stabbed in the back by a woman who still undeservingly walked the streets of Gotham. He watched the light go out in his mother's eyes, somehow even after finding out everything he had done… she was still so proud of him. He could not understand why he deserved such a wonderful person being proud of someone like him. He did not deserve such praise from such a pure soul. Then there was his beloved father, he only got to know the man for such a  short amount of time. If he had never shown up in his father's life then maybe just maybe Elijah Van Dahl would still be alive.

If he openly loved Edward, would he too eventually be taken away from him so cruelly as well? He already had so many enemies in this city and they could easily use Edward as a pawn against him. Love would never be a source of strength for him, just another weakness. A man who loves nothing is a man that can not be bargained with after all. He let out a bitter laugh because it was the object of his love that had told him that. How cruel of fate was that?

A shaking hand brought the glass up to his lips as he downed the liquid in one gulp, it didn’t even burn going down at this point, he reached for the bottle to pour another glass only to find the bottle empty. Empty that’s how his whole world felt at that moment, and because that damn empty bottle reminded him of that fact he threw the bottle into the fireplace, watching it smash into tiny pieces as it became engulfed in the flames. He silently wished those flames would engulf him as well.

 

Present Day - Gotham General Hospital

 

Edward Nygma was running down the halls of the hospital that lead to the Intensive Care Unit desperately trying to get to his friend as fast as his long legs would let him. He could not believe what Butch had told him on the phone less than twenty minutes ago. Oswald had collapsed from a seizure? No that was not possible. His friend did not have a history of epilepsy or any other health issue that would cause such an episode to happen. It did not make any sense at all. There was nothing wrong with Oswald, he had been his usual, cheerful self the last time he had seen him. The only conclusion he could come to was perhaps one of his rivals had possibly poisoned his friend somehow and once things were sorted out at the hospital he would gather the others, Butch and maybe Victor Zsasz as well and find out who had done such a thing to his best friend, he would make them pay! He was surprised then when he turned the final corner leading to the entrance of the ICU to see the two men who had just been on his mind and Barbara Keen yelling at some poor unfortunate orderly to be on the receiving end of one of her infamous tantrums.

“What do you mean we can not go in and see him! Like we keep telling you he does not have any immediate family!” the blonde was screeching at the frightened young woman. A very annoyed looking Victor Zsasz was standing not too far away from Barbara cracking his knuckles and neck over and over in an attempt to most likely relax and next to him stood a very exhausted and worried looking, Butch.

“I’m sorry but I can not let anyone in until his next of kin arrives and the name he has down is Edward Nygma…”

“I’m Edward Nygma!” called Edward as he ran towards the group.

The group looked up at him immediately “Where the fuck have you been?” growled Barbara who looked like she was about ready to strangle him before Victor grabbed her sleeve. “Now’s not the time for that Miss Keen.” there was an extra level of cold distance in his voice, something Ed had never heard from the usual amused monotone he had in his voice.

“I didn’t know…” came the strained out of breath reply. It was such a pathetic excuse and he felt pathetic for using it and the glare he received from both Victor and Barbara only made him cringe even more.

“Are you fucking kidding me? It’s been over the news all night, how could you not fucking know!” growled Barbara.

“That would be my fault” interjected Isabella attempting to hide behind Edward. She had come with her worried boyfriend to the hospital for emotional support. It’s what a good girlfriend would do after all.

“Who the hell is this?” asked Butch glaring at the unknown woman, his first thought was that she was some reporter who had managed to sneak in and he was about to reach out to grab her and shove her out the door until Edward interjected.

“This is Isabella, my girlfriend. I was at her place last night…” awkwardly realizing that this was the first time he had introduced her as such to anyone other than Oswald.

Barbara and Victor shared a quick look at each other before Victor mumbled something about needing to make a phone call, shoving his way past Edward, Isabella, and Butch. A cold stare seeming to linger a little longer than needed on Isabella as he seemed to bite his tongue.

“Zsasz wait! Damnit, come back please” called Butch as he let out a long sigh and turned to chase after the hitman. “I’m not dealing with this bullshit right now” was Victor's response as he disappeared around the corner.

The outburst surprised Edward as he watched Victor storm off, he had never seen the hitman as anything but calm, cool and occasionally cheeky. This felt so out of character for the other man, he felt like he had possibly done something to offend him but for the life of himself could not understand how introducing his girlfriend would get such a response from the man. A cautious hand on his shoulder from the orderly brought his thoughts back to the present state of affairs.

“Mr. Nygma, the doctor will need to speak with you privately about Mayor Cobblepot’s condition, your friends may come along if you so wish.”

Edward, Isabella, and Barbara followed the orderly into the ICU but none of them were prepared for what they saw as the entered the room that held the mayor of Gotham city.

On the other side of the glass, hooked up to several machines monitoring his heart rate, breathing and other vitals laid a very sickling looking Oswald Cobblepot. His complexion had always been on the pale side but he looked even paler than usual his skin almost a pale grey and his lips and fingertips had a blue tinge to them and he looked much thinner than Edward ever remembered him being. This made no sense. He did not understand how could he look so frail and sickly so quickly after a seizure. He had seemed so healthy just yesterday when he had been with Edward. No that was not completely right, he had seemed a little more tired than usual lately but Edward had put that down to Oswald balancing his work of being both Mayor and Kingpin of the underworld.

Both women beside him let out a surprised sad gasp at the sight and Barbara seemed on the brink of tears.

“How… how is this even possible?” his voice trembled at the sight of his best friend. This did not feel real, there was no way that was his best friend lying there, but it was. How could this happen? Nothing about this situation made any sense. He felt Isabella reach out and grab his hand in an attempt to calm him and he gave a shaky squeeze in response but did not turn to look at her. All he could do was stare disbelievingly at Oswald. If he had turned to look at her, he might have seen the look of mild annoyance on her face as she stared at Edward. The look, however, did not go unnoticed by Barbara who chose to say nothing, yet.

“Mayor Cobblepot is a very, very sick man” came the response from the doctor as he entered the room a clipboard in his hand.

Butch had lost sight of Victor not long after chasing after the hitman and had all but given up on finding the other man till he overheard a visitor talking to a security guard complaining about a scary looking bald man outside smoking in a non-smoking area. The security guard went outside to tell the man to move along but stopped in his tracks when he saw who the man was and decided it was best to leave him alone.

Butch walked passed the security guard offering an apologetic smile. “I’ll ask him to move along”

“Do you have a death wish? That is Victor Zsasz!” whispered the guard in response.

“I know full well who that is, don’t worry about it ok? At the moment he is just a concerned friend of a patient.” the guard gave him a questioning look before turning away to usher away any other visitors to the small outside garden area.

Victor Zsasz was a man of few vices, especially those that could dull his sensors. He had smoked as a teenager, however, and in recent months it was a habit he had picked up again. One that he had shared with the man now lying in a hospital bed. This had all turned into one big fucking mess. One he was not sure he knew how to clean up at this point.

 

~to be Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a quick note, thank you for reading my new story and a side note about this AU in this story Butch was not involved with the Red Hoods so he never betrayed Oswald


	3. Diagnosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed finds out what is wrong with Oswald and Barbara remembers when she first realized something was wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note before reading this chapter, I have no medical training or education. I just watch a lot of medical based television. So I do not know how medically accurate this chapter will be, or the rest of this fic for that matter.

Chapter 3 - Diagnosis

“He is a very very sick man, I honestly do not even know to begin with his diagnosis. His blood alcohol upon arrival was beyond high, my clinical diagnosis is that the seizure was caused by severe alcohol poisoning and that is just the beginning of his health issues,” the doctor let out a long sigh and flipped through his notes on the clipboard before continuing “He is very underweight for a man of his size and he is also anemic, but that is to be expected. He is low in nearly all needed vitamins and minerals. We do not know for sure yet, but all evidence shows he is suffering from an eating disorder. Also upon further examination, once we had him stabled evidence has been found of several self-harm injuries and one possible suicide attempt. Due to this, we have ordered another blood test to check for any drugs in his system before we start any further treatment. Once he is awake and lucid enough I highly recommend you allow him to be interviewed by our on staff psychiatrist for a fall mental health evaluation. I have also made a call to Arkham to get a hold of his records from there, though if I am completely honest the intensive care ward at Arkham might be the best place for him right now…”

This was not happening, there was no way this was real. Edward Nygma could feel the bile rising in his throat as the doctor calmly explained what was wrong with Oswald. How could he have not seen this? How could he have not seen how much his friend was suffering? Why was he suffering so much? Hating himself so much? He had everything he ever wanted. He had power over Gotham, the respect and fear of those around him. Was it too much for him? Was this a case of the pressure of everything getting to him and if so why had he not reached out to him for help? Or anyone else, the others had arrived here so fast. He looked over momentarily at Barbara and could not help but wonder.

‘Did you know?’ the guilty expression on her face made him realize she must have suspected something. How is it that Barbara Keen had noticed something wrong with Oswald, but he had no idea? Then he looked at Isabella unable to really read the expression on her face, she looked just as shocked as he did at the news, so she must have not noticed the change either. That made sense, of course, she never really spent time around Oswald or anyone besides Edward that wasn’t one of her work colleagues. Would she notice though if one of her colleagues were this sick?

Then the doctor mentioned transferring him to Arkham of all places. It made him feel even more sick to think of his best friend in that place again. He remembered how Oswald was the last time they had released him from that hell hole if he went in now in this state...

“He is not going back to Arkham!” growled Edward at the doctor, causing Isabella beside him to jump at his outburst. “They tortured him into submission in the name of treatment the last time he was there!”

“He does not belong in Arkham doctor!” added Barbara, worry clear in her voice. Edward could not help but stare at Barbara in disbelief in all the time he had known the woman, which admittedly had not been that long, he had never seen her even give a kind word to Oswald. So not only did he not know what was going on with his best friend, he did not even know who the other man’s friends were, because she was acting the part of the concerned friend. Was it the same with Butch and Victor as well then? Did they also know something was wrong? Damnit nothing about this night was making sense.

Edward was feeling dizzy the room was spinning and he felt the sick bitter taste of bile on the back of his tongue, “Where is the nearest restroom?” he suddenly asked the doctor and upon being told down the hall and to the right, he ran out of the room, Isabella turned an apologetic smile to the doctor.

“I’m sorry this is a lot for him to take in and Arkham is a touchy subject for him”

“I think it is more than Arkham that has worried him.” injected Barbara glaring at the woman who just looked at Barbara with an almost confused expression then lost in thought before smiling again.

“Of course he is worried about his friend as well, Miss Keen was it?” she smiled politely at Barbara, though there was a less than polite look in her eyes. She looked almost annoyed by the whole situation before turning to leave the room after Edward.

“There’s something not right about that woman” commented Barbara more to herself than anyone in the room. Her reaction to the whole situation was just, the only word she could think to describe it was wrong. She could just not pinpoint what exactly was wrong about it. Now that she had finally met the infamous Isabella she knew one thing. She did not trust the woman and as she turned and stared back at Oswald lying in the hospital bed, she could not help but remember the night she realized something was seriously wrong with him.

3 Months Earlier - The Sirens

Oswald was not a usual visitor to The Sirens, so it came as a surprise to both Barbara and Tabitha when the Mayor of Gotham showed up late one evening with Victor Zsasz by his side or to be exact he looked like he was being dragged in by Victor slumped over in his arms. Upon entering the club Victor quickly guided Oswald to a booth at the back of the club. One of the newer wait staff approached the table and Victor ordered the drinks while Oswald just sat there slumped over in the booth as if he was already drunk before leaning back in the seat to pull something from his pocket and placing it on the table. To Barbara’s surprise it was a pack of cigarettes and he quickly opened the packet taking one out and placing it to his lips before reaching into his coat most likely looking for a lighter and upon finding what he was looking for he took it out and lit the smoke in clear view of the clubs owners, though it did seem he was completely unaware of where he was as he just sat there staring at nothing in particular except the smoke.

Before Barbara could even comment to Tabitha that something did not seem right about the whole situation, Tabitha was already making her way over to the pair and as she got closer to the table Victor rose to stand in front of Oswald causing Barbara to quickly make her way to Tabitha’s side. It was well known that Tabitha could hold her own in a fight, but it was also known how dangerous a man Victor Zsasz was when on the job and she was not in the mood to find out which of them had sharper claws.

“This is a non-smoking club, Mr. Mayor” Tabitha spat the last part of the statement, there was not one ounce of respect for the mayor in the statement and no sooner were the words out of Tabitha’s mouth, Victor had unholstered both his guns and had them pointed at both women.

“Move along girls, the mayor is here to relax just like the rest of your patrons.” Barbara looked over Tabitha’s shoulder at Oswald as he sat there not really paying attention to the situation happening right in front of him if anything he looked rather bored by the whole thing. Usually, whenever Tabitha was in his vicinity he would be glaring daggers at the woman and spitting words like venom at her, right now, however, he seemed completely disinterested as he took a long drag from his smoke before flicking the ash onto the table in front of him.

“Then like most patrons, he should obey the rules of the club, butt out Penguin now!!” Tabitha growled at him and upon hearing the word Penguin he finally did look up at the two women, there was a look in his eyes Barbara had never seen on his face before. It was dark and extremely cold, and as his eyes momentarily locked with Barbara’s she felt a chill run through her, it was like the feeling she had felt when she had been forced to meet Don Falcone and for the first time ever she actually felt scared of The Penguin. Then he looked at Tabitha like he had only just realized the woman was in front of him and as he stared her down unblinking he took another long drag from his smoke and then blew it deliberately right at her,

“Baszd Meg! Unless you want Victor to paint the club’s walls with your blood” he glared at Tabitha before continuing “Besides what’s some stupid bitch like you going to do? Bust me to the cops for smoking in your club? What you stupid women need to remember is the only reason you have this place is because I let you! Walk away now Tabitha I did not come here to deal with your silly bullshit. The only reason your not as dead as that sorry excuse of a brother of yours is because you actually matter to Butch, better keep him happy cause the moment he is not, you are dead and believe me I am very much looking forward to that day.” as he finished his tirade he finished the smoke and flung the still smoldering butt at Tabitha.

Just as Tabitha was about to lunge forward at Oswald both Barbara and Victor grabbed hold of the woman, Victor grabbing and holding on tightly to the arm closest to him and Barbara the opposite shoulder.

“Walk. Away. Both of you. Now” growled Victor as he gave Tabitha a hard shove. As Barbara pulled Tabitha away she took one last look at Oswald still in complete shock from his outburst and as she turned away she could have sworn she saw him rubbing his hand on his cheek as if brushing away tears. What the hell was going on with him?

Oswald and Victor stayed at the club for a good couple of hours after the outburst and at some point in the night one of the wait staff had brought out an ashtray from the break room for the mayor to use when it because obvious after the first half hour he was not about to stop smoking. Oswald had had a couple of glasses of scotch while Victor sat on soda water the whole evening not leaving the mayor’s side the entire time, they did not even talk they just seemed to sit there. Though Barbara did notice that as the evening continued on it seemed Oswald had moved closer to the hitman and at one point he seemed to have fallen asleep head resting on Victor’s shoulder.

At around 2 am Butch arrived at the club to visit Tabitha though he stopped at the bar when he saw Victor and Oswald sitting in the booth at the back of the club, a look of pity on his face.

“Poor bastard” he commented to no one in particular.

“Yeah Victor can do so much better” sneered Tabitha as she wrapped her arms around Butch’s broad shoulders.

“I actually meant Oswald, he is completely heartbroken Tab” replied Butch

“Someone broke his heart?” asked Barbara as she approached the pair and then looked back at the booth, and to her surprise, she saw Victor running his fingers through Oswald’s hair as the smaller man seemed to be mumbling in his sleep. “How long has that been going on between those two?” she asked Butch pointing to the pair.

“Victor’s been keeping a close eye on him for just over a month now, not sure when it started all I know is there was an incident at the mansion a couple of months ago and since then Victor has been watching him personally every single night,” commented Butch.

“What happened?” asked Tabitha

“Can’t say sorry Tabby but if Victor found out I talked then I am a dead man.” just then Tabitha turned and looked at the pair and noticed that Victor was now watching all three of them and seemingly glaring at Butch, as if he knew exactly what they were talking about and he was warning the larger man to shut his mouth before he said too much.

~to be Continued


	4. Breaking Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Butch has an uncomfortable conversation with Victor and in the past, Oswald is confronted with the one thing that might just send him hurtling over the edge.

Present Day - Gotham General Hospital

As the stars from the night began to fade and as the sun began to creep it’s way across the horizon, in the visitors garden of Gotham General Hospital a lone man sat.  That is where Butch had found the hitman sitting there backing leaning into the bench, legs casually spread in front of him, arms resting behind him on the bench and face staring up at the night sky with a smoke hanging haphazardly out of the side of his mouth. Butch had only seen the hitman smoke in recent months and only when he was in the company of Oswald. Ever since that night, something had changed about Victor and he was never very far away from Oswald. It went beyond being the mayor’s hired muscle and Butch had to admit he had begun to wonder what was really going on between the two of them. He slowly approached the hitman and was surprised when the hitman did not immediately react to him approaching. He seemed lost in his own thoughts.

“Victor? They are finally let us in to see Oswald, now that the beanpole is finally here” he cut himself off when he realized Victor was not paying attention to him at all. This was not unusual behavior for the hitman. It was well known he had a short attention span when he was either bored or had zero interest in what he was being told, but the look on Victor’s face when he had first arrived at the hospital. Well, to be honest, Butch had never seen such raw emotions on the other man’s face other than the few times he had seen Victor been told off by Don Falcone, but even those expressions of disappointment in himself did not compare to the look of worry he had on his face when he arrived. Then there was that out of character outburst when Edward had introduced his lady friend. Butch was not sure if anyone else had seen the blood lust that crossed Victor’s face at the introduction but he had seen it because it was a look that t this day still scared the crap out of him. Then it had faded and he had stormed off so quickly. It left Butch wondering, what did Victor really know about everything going on?  

“Victor?”

“I can't go back in there yet, not while they are in there…” his response was so soft and cold that it made Butch’s stomach gurgle and twist painfully. That cold uncaring voice brought back lost memories of the man in front of him torturing him into submission, mentally breaking him and then putting the pieces back together in the way he was ordered to. Even though he understood now that it was all done under the orders of Carmine Falcone and even though as far as Victor was concerned it had just been another job. The whole ordeal still left mental scars on Butch that after all these years left him feeling uneasy around the hitman, and right now was one of those times. But for his boss, for Oswald, he was willing to push through this because dammit over the last few months he had grown fond of the Penguin. He swallowed deeply before asking his next question.

“Victor, do you know what is wrong with Oswald?”

“Mostly yes...” Victor let the smoke that had smoldered down to the butt between his lips drop to the ground before continuing, the burning sensation on his lip keeping him grounded in the moment. “I should have done more to help him, but at the end of the day, all I am good for is following orders it seems. You know what the worst part is? I honestly thought he was getting better… That’s why I left him alone last night. That was the first time I left him unsupervised in months!” the answer was barely a whisper and littered with guilt before he continued “I imagine that you have your own suspicions as to what is going on though, you are not as dumb as you look Gilzean I know that for a fact.”

So Victor did know something and it was all related back to that night, the night he still could not forget. The night he had told nobody about, not even Tabitha.

“Oswald has always worn his feelings on his sleeve and I know what I saw that night. I saw a man who had his heart broken, rejected.”

“Well your right up until the point about being rejected, you can not reject what you never get the chance to offer…” there was a slight tonal almost whimsical shift in his voice or at the least on anyone else it would seem whimsical. On Victor it was downright creepy, like a sick twisted joke, everything about his tone was so wrong. Against his better judgement, Butch stepped forward towards the other man before continuing.

“And you know who this person is?”

“I am quite sure I am not the only one who has worked that one out Butch, Miss Keen worked it out a while ago. Really it is quite obvious to anyone who spends enough time watching him.”

“So you're saying his upset because of some woman….” Victor cut Butch off with a click of his tongue very much like how Fish use to when she was telling someone off, only Victor did not wiggle his finger only glared.

“I never said that you really are dense if you came to that conclusion. You have worked beside him all these years and you still have not worked that detail out about him? I mean seriously? I worked it out the first time I saw him at Fish Mooney’s...”

“What are you going on about? If he isn’t pinning for some woman…oh. That actually explains a few things...” in all the time they worked together under Fish, Oswald had not once shown any interest in any of the many women at the bar, whether they be patrons or other workers. Butch had even walked into the bar one evening and caught a very drunk and very beautiful young entertainer very obviously flirting with Oswald and the young man had nothing more than a look of annoyed disgust on his face. At the time he just figured that Oswald must have very specific tastes in woman, which was not unusual in Gotham or for the clientele or staff at Mooney’s. To each their own he had thought.

Victor turns and looks at the expression of a stunned realization on Butch’s face, the big guy really had not known. Victor can not help but let out a small chuckle at that as he watches the cogs in the other man’s mind move through his erratic eye movement. He was trying to figure out who then he let out an annoyed sigh before asking.

“God please tell me this is not because of Jim Gordon, damn this explains why he was so obsessive about that whole friend's thing with him…” Zsasz rolls his eyes at that conclusion though he would give Butch an A for effort on that conclusion. If things had not happened the way they had with Theo Galavan it would be a pretty good conclusion.

“It’s not Jim, not anymore at least…think Butch, really think about his interactions with everyone, think about his time as mayor.” that should be enough for him to figure it out and sure enough he sees the conclusion on the man’s face before he even utters it “...Nygma”

“Edward fucking Nygma, yep” Victor practically spat the name from his lips like it left the worst taste possible on them. In the last few months, he had truly grown to dislike the man named Edward.

Butch could not help but take a step away from Victor as he spat out Edward’s name, there was a burning hatred right under the surface of that statement. One thing you did not want in Gotham was Victor Zsasz hating you. It was a death sentence for anyone who got under the hitman's skin. “But Ed has…”

“Yep, that night Oswald had walked in on the two of them in quite the romantic embrace.”

“You mean the night we found him...”

“Yes, Gilzean. That night.” Victor’s hands clenched into fists as he slammed them down on the bench causing Butch to flinch and take yet another step away from the bald man.

 

6 Months Earlier - At the Mansion

 

All Oswald wanted to do was get home and relax after what had been one of the most infuriating days in politics he had dealt with yet. Ever since lunchtime he just wanted to go home, pour himself a drink maybe talk with Ed for a bit before the other man head’s out on his ‘date’ with his new lady friend. As a friend, he was happy to see Ed so happy, but knowing his own feelings for the man; knowing that he could now never confess, it hurt like hell to know someone else was making Ed this happy, but he was going to be a good friend and support Edward. He would bury his feelings away and love Edward in his own way by looking out for his best friend and keep him safe, Gotham was a very dangerous city after all. It was better that way he would be content staying by Edward’s side as his best friend and that would be enough.

As he entered the mansion he saw Edward’s coat already hanging by the door and was pleased to know his chief of staff had already arrived back at the mansion. He would most likely be relaxing in the front room where they usually catch up over a drink and he was so happy that some things never really change and he could not help but smile as he felt himself already relaxing.

“Edward, you will not believe the day…” Oswald froze as soon as he walked into the room, seeing Edward holding who he assumed was the woman he was so madly in love with and caught up in a very passionate kiss. It was like a bullet to the gut and at that moment Oswald came to the conclusion, he might not be strong enough to stay content by his friend side, not if it was going to hurt this much. His chest tightened at the sight and if he was honest with himself he felt like he wanted to vomit. Then Edward turned and noticed Oswald standing there and smiled that big bright smile that for the first time ever made Oswald feel everything except the comfort it usually bestowed upon him.

“Oswald, welcome home! This is the very special lady I wanted you to meet before we head out tonight. Let me introduce you to Isabella, and Isabella this is our wonderful mayor of Gotham and my best friend Oswald.”

As the blonde woman turned to face Oswald, he was quick to plant one of the most sincere political smiles on his face. He could get through this meeting without humiliating himself. “It is so wonderful to finally put a face to the name that Edward has praised so highly.”

“And it is an honor to finally meet the wonderful Mayor who has made Gotham so much safer for all of us. I hope it is ok that I arrived a little earlier than expected I finished work early this afternoon and just could not wait to see Edward!” she smiled adoringly at Edward and he returned that same adoring smile back at her.

Oswald had to get out of here as fast as possible, he could feel his anger boiling just below the surface oh how much he wanted to wipe that smile off her face.

“Oswald? Are you ok?” he was disturbed from his thoughts at Edward looking away from Isabella, his smile turning to a look of concern as he stared at Oswald.

“It has been a difficult day I’m afraid, that’s all. Why don’t you lovers head off early? Then I can relax with a quiet evening at home. In fact, I think I will have Olga run a nice hot bath for myself.”

“Are you sure Oswald?” Ed asked again, damn it was not like he was lying to Edward. It had been a hard day at the office he just did not want to come home and walk into this on top of everything else.

“A bath sounds like a wonderful idea to help you relax Mr. Mayor. I myself am partial to a bath with a little bit of lavender oil to help relax after a stressful day. Soothes all my troubles away it does.” he already hated her smile and why did she of all people have to suggest the same thing his mother always did to help him relax?

“Oh that is a wonderful idea!” replied Edward “Yes, we will be on our way then. Go enjoy your bath Oswald, perhaps even have an early night!” 

Oswald managed a polite smile in reply as he watched the two begin to leave and as they passed him she stopped right next to him. “It was a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Mayor, and don’t you worry. I will take good care of your Chief of Staff.” 

Oswald just stared at the ground as they made their way out of the front door and once they were out the front door he finally let go of the quiet sob he had been holding onto and the tears began to fall as he slumped down onto the floor of the hallway. Quiet sobs, soon turned into cries of pain as the tears continued to fall. He could not hold it back anymore and they did not begin to subside until he heard heavy footsteps approach and stop in front of him.

“Bath ready, Mr. Oswald.”

He looked up and saw that the usually stern looking face of his housekeeper Olga looked softer than usual, and the look of pity in her eyes only made him feel worse as she reached a hand out to help him off the floor and escorted him away to the bathroom.

~to be Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter so many times before I was happy with it and it was originally going to be almost twice as long but I decided to save the next part for a separate chapter. Thank you to everyone for your kind comments and kudos!


	5. Broken Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two men break down and intentions are hinted at

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warning: This will be the chapter that will make or break this fic for some readers, this is where things begin to take a very dark turn and I feel it's only fair at this point to put one final warning for this fic here. The following chapter will deal with a lot of heavy topics including self-harm and a suicide attempt. If these subject matters are triggering to you, then this is not the fic for you and please know that if you are going through these thoughts that you are not alone. Reach out to a loved one or one of the many hotlines around the world you can call, you don’t need to go through this alone.

The Mansion - Six Months Earlier

He sat at the open window of the master bedroom of the mansion wearing only a house robe. The smell of vomit and cigarette smoke permeated the room. Both his feet hurt like hell and he could still feel the blood dripping off his feet and vomit burning his throat now joined by the smoke. Walking through broken glass barefoot had not been the smartest thing he had done that night, but in all honesty, he really did not care at this point. 

Olga would be mad at him in the morning for both pinching her cigarettes from the servant quarters and for the vomit in the hallway and on the floor behind him as well. He did not care about worrying about tomorrow anymore. No point in worrying for what he need not worry about at this point, it would be someone else’s mess to clean up. 

What was the point? What was the point in having everything when you had no one to share it with? Love really was nothing more than weakness, and it was going to be the weakness that would finally do him in. 

He found himself contemplating, would anyone really miss him once he was gone? There would be so many in this damn city who would be relieved to see him gone and others who would probably not care at all and for most of them, it will just be another death in Gotham, nothing special to celebrate or grieve. 

Would Edward cry for him? Leave flowers on his grave as he did for his poor mother? Would she comfort him and kiss away those tears for him? 

This felt worse than when his mother and father had died because at the end of the day it was even harder to stare at something you can not have when it still stands before you. He felt more pathetic than what he was when he was Fish’s little umbrella boy, rubbing her feet. He had come so far since then and yet, no he was weaker now than he had ever been. He spat his smoke out the window as he reached into his house robes pocket, pulling out the switchblade he knew was there, the switchblade that he had taken earlier that evening from Edward’s old room when he was living in the mansion. He was so glad he had found the blade from back then in Ed’s old room.

There was something cathartic about using Edward’s blade for this. Using the blade they had shared when torturing Mr Leonard back in that apartment. It would have been so much kinder if Edward had killed him in that apartment back then when he first saw the blade. Back before he had even feelings of friendship for the other man. That place felt more like a home than the mansion ever did once Edward had moved out a few days ago. 

This place did not feel like home anymore, not without Ed.

He brought the blade to the skin of his arm just above his wrist and pushed the blade into the skin, he just didn’t want to feel anything anymore so he kept pushing the blade further and further in and then up his arm until he felt just that, nothing and as the blood dripped down his arm he slumped over in front of the window, bathed in the light of the moon outside. For the first time that night he felt at peace and as he closed his eyes and silently the King of Gotham prayed to never awake again. 

The last thing he heard was the sound of a car pulling up outside. 

It had been a good night for Victor and Butch. It had been a busy night which meant Victor got to have a lot of fun that night. Some of the gang leaders in town had still been of the belief that the current king of the underworld, Oswald Cobblepot had gone soft in the last few months. Having him become the Mayor of the city had many of them believing that yes, the man had gone soft. Those who worked closely with The Penguin, however, knew this was far from the truth and both Butch and Victor had been busy making sure that they all still knew their place in the city.

It had become a ritual that a busy night ended at the Van Dahl mansion and they would share a few drinks with the king of Gotham and regale him with stories of the fun of the night, more often than not crashing in one of the guest rooms and out in the morning before Olga arrived to work. More often than not Edward Nygma the Mayor’s Chief of Staff and new number two would join them. 

At first Butch was a little bit bitter to lose that second in command spot, but he knew the trust was never completely there between Oswald and himself. It was paper thin on both sides really. He made it no secret he was still loyal to Fish Mooney and that he always would be, and Oswald was ok with that as long as Butch knew his place in the way things were now. He was still respected and had even become more comfortable in the last few months working alongside Victor, plus despite everything, Oswald had even let it slide that Butch had started dating Tabitha Galavan. 

He had been worried about that one, but Oswald could see how happy she made Butch and had told him that everyone deserved to be happy and in love. Though Butch was quite sure that sentiment did not extend entirely to Tabitha as well. There would always be a tension between her and the boss, what Tabitha had done was unforgivable. Even Butch was surprised the woman was still alive at this point and in the back of his mind he knew, she was living on borrowed time. He also knew that Tabitha still did not really see Oswald as a threat and he kept telling her that was the biggest mistake so many had already made. This had made her laugh and roll her eyes, but he kept telling her not to underestimate him. One day he was going to snap and when that happened, all hell would fall upon those who had wronged him.

When they arrived at the mansion just after midnite that night, however, something instantly felt off. There was a coldness in the house that neither had felt before. A small dinner was left abandoned on the table, several empty bottles of whiskey by the fireplace and broken glass shattered on the ground along with a few drops of blood as if someone had walked barefoot through the shards.

“What the hell?” was all Butch could say at the sight, Victor said nothing as he began to follow the trail of blood leading upstairs. Was there an intruder in the house? No, there were no signs of a struggle or a break in. It was more like someone had broken the glass and then knowingly walked through the shards. Victor’s stomach began to turn as memories of Don Falcone surfaced when the man had given up on himself and this city. Had being the Mayor, as well as the king of the underworld, become too much for their boss? Maybe he had just drunk too much after a stressful day and had become clumsy, yeah that had to be it right? Right? No, that did not feel right at all, nothing about this situation felt ok. 

Call it instinct, a six sense or whatever you want to call it, but in that moment Victor just instantly knew. “Something is very wrong here,” said Victor as he ran up the stairs. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs he could smell the vomit and not far up the hallway he almost stepped in it, this just made him move faster through the mansion until he reached the door to the master bedroom and as he opened the door what he saw inside shook him to his core. 

Lying beneath the window was Oswald Cobblepot in a pool of his own blood. 

“BOSS!” Victor ran into the room almost slipping on vomit as he scrambled across the room pulling the smaller man into his arms and checking to see if he had a pulse. He felt a small amount of relief when he felt a faint pulse of the smaller man beneath his fingertips. Looking at the still bleeding wound he quickly realised it had only happened very recently, ten minutes at the most if he had to guess. Thank god they had work that night and had called in if they had not…

“Victor what’s….” an out of breath Butch stood in the doorway gaping at the scene in front of him like a fish floundering on the land, “What the hell happened to him?”

“Go get the first aid kit from the ensuite now! It’s under the sink!” yelled Victor at the stunned man as he attempted to slowly lift Oswald off the floor and carry him over to the bed. 

He knew right away the injuries were self-inflicted, what he did not understand was why. The broken bird began to stir in his arms but all his said was one word.

“Edward…” 

Gotham General - Present Day

The only sound that echoed through the restroom was the sound of running water in the sink and the dry heaving of the man standing in front of it, glasses resting on the side of the sink as he splashed water on his face.

A suicide attempt? Those two words echoed through his head when the hell had that happened? How could he not know his friend had been suffering so much.

_ “Well you have not exactly paid him much attention as of late” _

Edward looked up and stared at his reflection glaring at him. It was true, ever since the night he had met Isabella he had not paid much attention to Oswald, but still, if something was wrong why did Oswald not reach out to him? Even if he had her in his life, he still had time for his best friend. He always made time for Oswald didn’t he? He always seemed so happy when they worked together.

_ “His smile changed recently, you know that much right?” _

He had seemed distant since Edward had begun dating her, but he was just giving him space to spend time with her that was all. Maybe, just maybe his friend had been lonely? That had to be it! Edward had someone by his side to love and Oswald to Ed’s knowledge had never had that kind of love in his life. 

He had been so happy about being in love he did not realise that it could have been making his best friend feel lonely and then he had gone and moved out of the mansion. Ed began to sob as he knelt before the restroom sink. This was all his fault, he just knew it.

Leaning against the wall outside the restroom stood Isabella, listening to her boyfriend dry heave and then sob, she just rolled her eyes. God these two were just making it way to easy, things were going to be over very soon and she would have her revenge for what the both of them had done to her family.

 

~to be Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry if you are crying at this point, I cried while writing this chapter it's why it has taken so long for me to update this story. Comments and kudos always appreciated my readers!


	6. Make Me Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oswald gives Victor an order he refuses, so then Oswald gives him a different order that he does obey

After cleaning and stitching up the wound on Oswald’s arm, Victor sat there on the bed with him as Butch returned the first aid kit to the bathroom and binned the bloodied bandages that had been used to stop the bleeding. Throughout the whole ordeal, Oswald had not shed a tear at the physical pain at being stitched back together. His eyes had been open the whole time but he did not react or even flinch at any point, it was like the lights were on and nobody was home within the man. 

Neither Butch nor Victor had even seen Oswald look so defeated and neither had suspected that he would ever do something like this. The Penguin, he was a survivor, a fighter, but it seemed the man behind the persona was not as strong as he made himself out to look to those watching over him. The man that sat before both of them, was a man broken and on the edge of something that was tearing him apart. He had jumped off a cliff and somehow survived, but what was left in front of them was a broken mess of a man that neither was sure could be saved and at this point, it seemed he did not want to be saved. He may have not pushed them away as they helped and cleaned him but he made no effort to help them help him. It was like watching Victor sew a doll back together and it made Butch’s heartache for The Penguin, something in that moment he would never admit. 

It was just too much for Butch to stand there and watch, he did not do all this emotional stuff, that being said Victor probably did less of it than he did. He turned and looked at Victor as he sat there just standing beside Oswald, much like how he used to linger beside Carmine Falcone. For a brief moment, the larger man wondered if Victor had ever had to comfort the old man, but it was only a passing thought. A man like Falcone would not need comforting from a subordinate like Victor surely. Butch quietly excused himself from the room saying he was going back downstairs to clean up the mess downstairs. As soon as the door closed behind Butch,  the tears began to flow from Oswald in soft whimpers as he clung to Victor's arm.

“Why? Why did you have to arrive tonight…” he cried weakly, the silent questions hung in the air like pungent smoke ‘Why did you have to find me so soon?’ and ‘Why could you not let me die’

“I think it is a good thing we were here boss if we had not found you till morning…” came Victor’s sombre reply as he gently stroked the boss’ hair in an attempt at comfort. Comfort being something the assassin had little experience in giving. He was not the kind of man a person would call his presence comforting if anything he always hoped to have the opposite effect.

“That was kind of the point Victor” it was barely a whimpering whisper almost unheard behind the blubbering of tears. Victor leaned towards the sobbing man on the bed and attempted a hug. It was an awkward hug, but this was all new ground for the hitman.

“You don’t mean that boss, this was… a cry for help perhaps?” the crying man stilled in Victor’s grasp. Is that how they would have seen this? A cry for help? A pathetic cry for attention? That was not what he wanted. Angrily he shoved Victor away from him he did not want pity from anyone at this moment. Even at his lowest Oswald still had his pride.

It was a pathetic shove, but Victor still stepped back giving his boss the space he was asking for at that moment, only to be met with an angry red tear-stained glare.

“I order you to kill me Victor!” he spat at the man.

“Right now boss, I would rather kill Edward Nygma” growled Victor in response. It had been that man’s name on Oswald’s lips when he had found him in such a state, so Victor had no doubt that the chief of staff had something to do with the current state the boss was in.

This statement, however, caused Oswald to launch himself at the assassin and attempting to punch him with his uninjured arm, but Victor was too quick and he grabbed hold of Oswald’s arm to stop the outburst. This just caused Oswald to struggle and squirm in Victor’s strong grasp before screeching right into the hitman’s face.

“ **DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM VICTOR! YOU HEAR ME YOU DO NOT HURT HIM!** ” his face going red with anger as the tears began to flow again. 

“But he hurt you boss” Victor calmly responded staring down the struggling man.

“No, Edward has always been kind to me! He takes care of me! He is my best friend!”

Victor reached for Oswald’s other arm with his free hand roughly grabbing the bandaged limb and squeezed causing the other man to wince in pain. “Then why do this and cry over him then? You’re better than this boss!” barked Victor as he let go of Oswald and shoved him back down onto the bed and then letting out a frustrated sigh as Oswald began to cry once more.

“Let me go to work boss, let me make him pay for hurting you!” 

“He didn’t do anything wrong Victor…” the whimpering reply was barely a whisper “All he did was fall in love with someone else. I thought I could be happy for him because he is just so happy and at peace, but it hurts too much Victor. It hurt to see him holding her, to see him kissing her to know that…” the last part was cut off from the tears welling up and falling down his face and sniffling from his nose but he continued “It hurts to know that he will never want that from me, Victor.”

“Boss…” Victor kneeled down on his knees in front of the bed staring up at the broken bird before him who must have just had his heart ripped out.

“I love him Victor, and I can never tell him” yep heart ripped out, damn. The next hug came surprisingly easy for the hitman to give as he leaned forward and pulled the other man against him and just let him cry. After a few minutes of being held in the assassin’s tight grasp, Oswald pulled back and stared pleadingly at the man before him.

“I don’t want to feel anything anymore Victor. Not for him. Not for anyone, please Victor make me forget…” so desperate, so helpless...

“You don’t know what you are asking of me boss” Was he really about to ask what Victor thought he was about to ask? He could not be that desperate, could he? So broken, but as he looked into those stormy filled green eyes he knew the answer to that question was yes. He should leave right now before this escalates into something he will never be able to take back, but a part of him does not want to leave because there is a part of him that would do anything asked of the man before him. Even that.

“I know exactly what I am asking Victor and please call me Oswald” the smaller man reached out towards Victor cupping his face gently in his hands and staring him down before leaning forward and planting a tentative kiss on the other man’s lips. 

“Oswald…” the name lingered on his lips as he pulled away and stared at the broken bird before him. Damn, why did he have to kiss him?

“Use me, Victor. Break me. Make me not feel anything anymore. Even if it’s just for tonight please?” 

Victor knew he should say no, should walk away and just forget he was ever asked, but there was a part of him, a small quiet part of him that had been wanting a moment like this with Oswald for a long while. He had wanted the other man since he first saw his petite form at Fish Mooney’s kneeling before one of his boss' clients making sure to help close the deal no matter the cost. It was an image Victor could never get out of his head since he saw it and he would be lying to himself if he said he never wanted the man like that before him. There was no guarantee especially if the other man loved Edward Nygma so much that he would ever get an opportunity like this ever again. This was a mistake he knew it, it went against everything he had been taught about keeping things professional.

“Is that an order Oswald?” please say no...

“Yes”

That was all Victor needed to push the smaller man down onto the bed and crawl on top of him pinning his arms above his head as he leaned down and captured Oswald’s mouth in a searing kiss that was all teeth and tongue while grinding himself against the smaller man.

Just as asked he was not gentle and he used the other man, tearing his clothes off with the pocket knife that was most likely used by the little bird to injure himself and once they were both completely free of their clothes he did use Oswald. He used that lovely mouth that he knew had experience. Frequenting Fish’s place as often as his previous boss had wanted him to, to keep an eye on the owner he had seen what Oswald could do and to finally be on the receiving end of that talented tongue and throat. It was almost too much and he had to pull the other man off him roughly to stop himself from cumming. He reached over to the nightstand to try and find some lube only for Oswald to grab onto him and pull him back.

“No, Victor…” 

“Boss, I don’t want to hurt you…” 

“I want it to hurt… I told you, Victor, I want you to break me!”

He was about to tell him, no but before he could reply Oswald pushed him down onto the bed climbing on top of him and straddling his hips and the sight alone was enough to have the protest stop in Victor’s throat. He felt Oswald grab hold of his spit slick cock and forcibly push himself down onto it. Victor watched as his face contorted in pain and tears begin to swell up in his eyes, but he pushed through it until Victor was completely inside of him.

“You better fucking move Victor, don’t make me do all the work…” grumbled Oswald as he adjusted himself. “And don’t hold back”

Victor did not hold back, he did exactly as ordered. Oswald at first cried out in pain but soon those cries of pain turned to cries of ecstasy especially when Victor began pumping his cock in time with how rough he was fucking the little bird.

That was the first of many times Victor had sex with the Oswald, but the first time was the only time he was ever rough with him. Every encounter after that grew more and more gentle and a part of Victor hoped that his growing feelings for his boss were getting through to the other man, but he knew they were not because every single time Oswald came it was not Victor’s name on his lips. No, every single time he cried out for Edward Nygma. 

Victor was beginning to really hate Edward Nygma.  
  


~To be Continued


	7. Woman's Intuition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed completely misreads the situation in more ways than one

As worried about Oswald as Barbara Keen was the brief time she spent alone with Isabella left a bad taste in her mouth. There was just something really off about the other woman. Every fibre in her body was telling her not to trust this seemingly sweet woman and to her that made sense. After all sweet and innocent is how everyone used to see her before her falling out with Jim Gordon and the murder of her parents and she could not wonder if Ed had picked up anything weird about the woman. Maybe that hint of something dangerous beneath the unsuspecting surface was what had attracted the two to each other. Edward Nygma was not like any other man she had ever met before, for better or worse. That was not a bad thing per se, it just made it harder for her to understand the man at times.

There was a childish sweetness that she would occasionally get a glimpse of when the man was around Oswald and at times it was there in Oswald as well when in Ed’s presence. It was like there was something between the two of them that only they seemed to understand about each other. They always seemed calmer in the presence of each other that was for sure like there was a mutual understanding between both of them that only they understood. She had first noticed it when they were all celebrating Oswald’s Mayoral victory at The Sirens which was a small private affair of herself, Tabitha, Butch, Oswald and Ed. It was the first time that Tabitha and herself really met Edward Nygma in person and neither of them were impressed by the man.

She had been expecting to meet some sneaky geeky man from what she had seen of him on the television with Oswald, so she was pleasantly surprised when it turned out he was quite the old fashioned gentleman if not a little over-polite. He was also, it turned out, to be a lightweight when it came to alcohol as it did not take much for the man to get completely hammered that night. Trying to go shot for shot with Oswald and Butch. He was also a very clingy, affectionate and flirty drunk and had clung on to Oswald the rest of the evening hanging on every little word the little man said.

At one point he had even pulled Oswald into a hug and stated in front of everyone present “I continue to be in awe of what a magnificent man you are Oswald and I hope you know, I would do anything for you.” after that declaration he slumped over in Oswald lap and fell asleep right there. Barbara remembers giggling at the sight and trying to figure out what was more adorable. The sleeping drooling face of Ed in Oswald’s lap or the content smile and blush that appeared on Oswald’s face after the shock and surprise of the situation wore off.

“I wonder if that was the night you fell for him…” she mumbled to herself with a sigh as she watches Oswald through the window before hearing the sound of returning footsteps and seeing Ed re-enter the room eyes red and puffy. He had been quite obviously crying. She then saw Isabella standing just outside the door to the room, her expression once again did not feel quite right for the situation. She did not seem all that worried about Edward and looked more bored than anything. 

“Someone is going to have to make a statement to the press at some point in the morning” stated Ed looking at Oswald through the glass. 

“Have someone at City Hall make it, he needs you here” stated Barbara 

“He has all you here as his friends. It has become obvious to me now that maybe he did not trust me as much as he trusts the rest of you.” Barbara was about to interject but Ed continued looking away from her his voice void of any emotion “I don’t know what is going on that has put who I thought was my best friend in such a state, but you three seem to know something I do not. So I can only suspect this is something he wanted me to know nothing about. If he doesn’t trust me, that's just fine...” the emotionless visage dropped on that last sentence, every syllable was filled with pain and betrayal.

“Ed, your wrong, he trusts you more than anyone!” for someone who on several occasions claimed to be the smartest man in Gotham, it seemed to Barbara at that moment Edward Nygma was the biggest idiot in Gotham for not seeing what has been right in front of them all.

He turned and glared at her “Then why did he not reach out to me for help? Why is it that everyone around him seemed to know something was wrong except me? Why would he hide this” he points at Oswald through the glass “And not tell me!”

This man really was an idiot and at that moment something within Barbara snapped “When have you been there for him lately Ed huh? Other than work when have you been there for him?”

“I...I…” he knew he had not been there for his friend, but having it thrown so blatantly in face hurt more than Edward had suspected it would and it left him a stuttering mess under Barbara’s gaze. Now he knew how that orderly she had been yelling at earlier must have felt.

“Oh that’s right you have been running around with the first woman that comes along giving you goo goo eyes! He has always needed you!”

“Why would he need me, he has all of you!” he yelled back at her.

“Gee here let me put it into terms that you might understand! Rich men want it, wise men know it and the poor all need it!”

“What does love have to do with all this?” he growled at her only to stop when Isabella finally stepped into the room and grabbed hold of his hand.

“Maybe he was jealous that you found love Edward and he has been all alone all this time, it does happen sometimes, especially to certain kinds of people who only think of themselves.” she pulled Ed into a comforting hug and glared at Barbara.

“If this Oswald really was Ed’s friend he would not do anything to hurt Ed or put him in a situation he knows would upset him! If anything all this seems like a selfish cry for attention because Edward’s attention was on me and not him. Kind of pathetic behaviour for a grown man if you ask my opinion.”  

Barbara had never wanted to slap anyone more than Isabella in her smug face, but as she raised her hand to do just that she was stopped by Ed who grabbed her hand.

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on her Barbara. I don’t know what game you and the others are playing including Oswald, but I want nothing more to do with this. I will continue my work as Chief of Staff until Oswald is better, then I am handing in my letter of resignation.”

With that Edward turned to leave with Isabella latched onto his arm and as they turned to leave out the door she turned and smiled at Barbara and it just made her blood run cold. Barbara did not know how or why, but her gut in that moment told her this woman, this Isabella was manipulating this whole situation and most definitely manipulating Ed! She had stepped in at just the right time for Ed to not make the right conclusion to the riddler she gave him. 

Though she knew there was anger towards Edward from Oswald it was not because his friend had found love, not it was because he had found love in someone else. It was so obvious that night at the Sirens in his drunken state that Edward must love Oswald so why? Why had nothing come of it? It had to be because of that woman, it just had to be. 

But how did she know when to show up to put a rift between Oswald and Edward? 

Damnit, Barbara knew she was right in her assumptions of the woman but there was just not enough evidence to prove what was going on. She knew one thing however, she had to talk to Victor Zsasz about this as soon as possible. If anyone could find out information on this mystery woman it was him.

Meanwhile, outside in the parking lot to the hospital Isabella was attempting to calm Ed down a very frantic and at this point in time manic Edward Nygma who was pacing back and forth in front of the car. 

“I’m sorry you had to find out they were like this towards you like this Edward, please hop in the car and we can go home and I will make you a nice cup of tea. Let me take care of you Edward” she smiled her warmest smile at him and it seemed to calm him down and he began hopping into the car as her phone rang. She reaches into her pocket and pulled out the phone. The screen read Gabriel, her uncle. She politely excused herself from Ed’s side saying it was work and closed the car door as Ed hopped in and then walked far enough from the car so he would not hear the conversation.

“I saw the news this morning, the little freak is practically on death's door is that true.”

“Yes Uncle, everything is going according to plan. He is suffering greatly. It seems my suspicions of him being in love with his chief of staff were correct”

“Your father would be so proud of his little girl, you just as manipulative as he was. You are doing the Maroni family very proud Isabella.”

 

~To be Continued

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole Isabella is working for the Court of Owls or is a Kristen Clone storyline has been done again and again in fanfiction and don't get me wrong I love the fanfics that use these ideas in creative ways, but when I started writing this fic I told myself I was not going to use either back story for Isabella and then I thought The Maroni family were really underused after the death of Sal at the hands of Fish and that is where this idea came from. I don't think I have seen anyone else do this route before but then again I have not read every single Gotham fic out there so maybe someone has done this idea before me. 
> 
> Anyway, I would like to let you guys know we are getting very close to the home stretch of this fic and I want to thank everyone for their continued support and reading of my story!


	8. Capture the Queen to Break the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Isabella began to beat Penguin by playing a different game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter would have been up earlier, but life kind of really got in the way of writing this last week. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter so I hope you all enjoy this one!

Chapter 8 - Capture the Queen to Break the King

The fall of the Maroni family had been by the end of it all, sudden. Shot down by one of Falcone’s former lieutenants, Fish Mooney a woman they had all by that point that was dead. With Maroni dead and Falcone deciding to step down many assumed that it would be Fish Mooney that would be the new head of Gotham’s underworld, but no it had been someone who had been hiding the shadows, biding his time to strike when all others were weak. Someone who it turned out had manipulated and reignited the gang war that saw the fall of the city’s two biggest players, Oswald Cobblepot. The pathetic little man so many had nicknamed The Penguin now wore that name like some regal title. 

It made her sick to watch this pathetic little man rise to power in the city that was to be her father’s legacy, but in saying that she knew taking the little schemer down would not be an easy task. She knew the kind of game he was playing. He was playing a very high stakes game of poker and no one at the table knew the cards he was holding so she would have to play a different game to defeat him. A smarter game. Her plans against him were closer to a well-played game of chess. All she had to do was find out who around him were which pieces and if she could capture his queen he would be one useless king on the board.

After watching the man for nearly a month she realised that the queen on The Penguin’s board was his mother, a seemingly sweet sheltered old thing of a woman and an easy enough target. Her plan had been simple. Move into the same apartment building a build a neighbourly friendship with the woman and her son that still lived with his mother even after everything he had achieved. Oh, this would be too easy. 

Then someone else bet her to the plan, a new player in the game. One Theo Galavan and he was a very clever man indeed in that he all too quickly also figured out The Penguin’s Achilles heel and had his people swoop right in and take her away from underneath the man’s nose. Her plans would have to wait it would seem. Too many players on the board made for a messy game so she stepped back and waited ever so patiently. She was almost tempted to step out of the shadows on more than one occasion and find a way to work alongside the Galavan siblings but she was not prepared to be just another pawn in someone else’s game, she knew which piece on the board she was and she was not about to give that up. Then something unexpected happened, in the aftermath of almost being killed by the Galavan’s it seemed The Penguin found a new pawn, or to be more exact was saved from check by a pawn. 

As disappointing as it was to know that he would not die just yet she concluded that this was fate telling her that her chance to destroy the man would come to her eventually. Thanks to a helping hand from this new piece of the board Penguin was able to rise up and eventually defeat Theo Galavan. Seeing him get arrested and imprisoned in Arkham for the crime had been a surprise she thought he was smarter than that but oh well. It gave her a chance to begin a new life within the city, first came a change of name as the family name was something she was not going to reveal to those who already know would know.

She went from Bella Maroni to Isabella Mariana, opting to take her mother’s maiden name as it was not known to anyone outside the family but a name those close to her father would recognize easily. Next, she needed a new life that would integrate her into Gotham a little more discreetly than just living in her father’s house so she bought a small quaint apartment in a middle-class part of town and was able to get a job as a clerk in one of the cities oldest libraries. Why a library? Information was power and no one would look twice at a librarian checking public records. She was able to learn much about her opponent while he was in Arkham. An interesting find had been report-cards from his school days that included documents from several school counsellors.  He did not play well with others as a child it seemed, that was no big surprise to her. What did come as a surprise was that he often had bouts of depression brought on by bullying from other students and during these hard emotional times the boy had turned to self-destructive behaviour that included cutting and in later teen years, drinking. The later of which was an already known coping mechanism used by the man when highly stressed.  

Not long after working at the library a mysterious set of crimes began involving the police and with what she knew of the city’s underbelly it became very obvious that what was ever going on someone within the police department was responsible and the arrest of the city’s great hero Jim Gordon seemed to be the missing piece to that puzzle, but just because a piece fit into the hole does not mean it is the right puzzle piece. Something did not add up and Isabella found herself curious as to see what more would unfold. Her conclusion had been proven right when upon his escape from Blackgate it was revealed that it was someone else within the GCPD had been behind the crimes. Penguin’s little pawn was more dangerous than he initially seemed, perhaps he was closer to a knight than a pawn. What was most curious about this turn of events was the fact that Oswald after being silent upon his release from Arkham was back on the radar and was even visiting Edward in Arkham. To be exact, he was the man’s only visitor.

Curious to find out why no one would visit Edward in Arkham, she once again began collecting information. She could not help but laugh at herself when she came across the girlfriend he had killed, the woman looked like a more innocent version of herself. She soon, however, hit a hurdle when she found out that before he was 18 she could not find any information about the Edward Nygma anywhere. There are many reasons a person would change their name one of the most obvious is when someone becomes a ward of the state and does not want any connection to their previous life. It took some digging but eventually, she found something that could be a lead, a young boy who had been in the states care from the age of 9.

Most of what was in the file had been completed sealed so she had to reach out to what was left of her father’s legacy to get the information. It took longer than expected but one day upon returning home from work she found a folder left inside her apartment on her kitchen table. There was a sticky note on the cover, she instantly recognized Uncle Gabe’s handwriting ‘Read on an empty stomach’. Upon opening the folder it became very obvious why he record had been sealed. A history of child abuse that only ended when both parents were killed under very morbid and mysterious circumstances, those mysterious circumstances being the lack of any evidence at the crime scene. So he was a clever boy right from the get-go it seemed. Odd that someone with these abilities would choose to go into law enforcement he could have made quite a name for himself in the underworld.

“I have greatly underestimated this little pawn” she smiled to herself, oh this was going to make things even more fun.

She sat on her newly acquired information about both Oswald and Edward and waited for the perfect opportunity to knock the little bird off his perch. Then it happened, Oswald put himself in the election race for mayor of Gotham. An interesting play for power that would be a double-edged sword for someone with his background in crime. He was, after all, a well-known criminal at this point. Another high stakes poker game to gain power over more of the city at the end of the day. Well, that was fine by her like any other gambler at the table his luck was going to run out sooner or later. She knew she was playing a more predictable and strategic game.

Then a curious thing happened upon his election win. He happily announced that Edward Nygma was going to be his new chief of staff and as the weeks rolled on and pictures of the two appeared on every television and newspaper in the city she could not believe her luck. This was the perfect opportunity. She could see the way the mayor looked at his chief of staff, the little pawn had become a queen in the eyes of the city’s king, oh this was just too perfect.

It was easy enough to learn the schedule of both the mayor and chief of staff when you asked the right people. A few makeup and hairstyle changes to make herself look more the sweet girl next door and a ‘fateful’ meeting within a liquor store one night she knew she had found what she needed to take down Penguin because she had finally captured his queen.

 

~To be Continued


	9. Frienemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim Gordon and Harvey go to the hospital and trouble begins with a confrontation that has Jim questioning where he really stands in Gotham

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update has taken so long everyone, this chapter gave me a lot of trouble to be honest and I did not want to post this until I was completely happy with it, it's another emotional one guys so I hope you all enjoy it!

Jim Gordon had expected a media circus when he pulled up at Gotham General Hospital so he was surprised when he arrived to find all media vans and several reporters standing on the opposite side of the road to the hospital. This was the biggest story in the city right now, but something for lack of a better word had them too scared to approach the hospital. Even security at the hospital was lax, the only people at the entrance were a pair of leather-clad woman. Zsaszettes as they were called, their presence meant that Victor Zsasz was personally guarding the mayor. 

“This is just damn creepy…” grumbled Harvey who really did not want to be there, but at the same time, there was no way he was about to let Jim walk into a pit of snakes. No one at the station wanted this case, but they all knew there was a case here. The city’s mayor collapsing suddenly during a media interview, even in Gotham that was unusual. Oswald Cobblepot was not what one would call an unhealthy man. To those who knew him as well as anyone on the side of the law could know an underground kingpin turned mayor, health-wise the man only ever came across as high strung and scrawny. Many at the station had joked that it must be the stress of everything he has done finally getting to him. So all they needed to do was come down to the hospital get a statement saying just that and all this could be put to rest. That is what Harvey Bullock was hoping for, but then he saw the look on Jim Gordon’s face.

Harvey knew that look. That look meant trouble was on the horizon and it meant more work for himself. He wanted to beg his partner, beg Jim to just let it go. To let it slide just this once, and let Oswald fall into the hole he had dug for himself, but for some reason even after everything Oswald still had some sort of invisible pull when it came to Jim. It was like there was a part of Jim that wanted to save the mobster somehow. His partner was a man who wanted to save everyone in this city, but Harvey had been around long enough to know that you just can not save everyone.

“Are you sure you want to do this Jim?” he had to ask him just one more time before they hopped out of the car and went into the hospital to start getting answers as to what was going on.

“This makes no sense Harvey, for Oswald to just collapse like that. Something is not right here and if this was any other public official everyone at the GCPD would be working hard to find out why, but because it was him they refuse to lift a finger!” he knew Jim was right. Whenever something had happened to Mayor James the GCPD would be on high alert to protect the mayor, but when they entered the GCPD after seeing the news on the television in the bar they had been in the mood had not been what either had expected.

It was like any other night within those hallowed halls with the exception of a few extra snickers from their fellow officers which they later found out was because there were bets going amongst their own ranks on whether the mayor would survive. Upon finding this out Jim Gordon had been completely livid, Harvey had not seen Jim this pissed since he had discovered Galavan had pulled the wool over all of them. He had stormed into the captain’s office and demanded that he let himself and Harvey investigate this because something was not right. So now they sat in the hospital parking lot, with Harvey trying and failing to convince Jim that he did not need to do this.

Harvey stopped talking however when two figures exiting Gotham Hospital heading towards the car park. This was something that normally would not have caught the detective’s attention except for the fact that one of them that came out was a very upset looking Edward Nygma and woman that was a dead ringer for their former co-worker Kristen Kringle and Harvey could not stop his jaw from dropping at the sight in front of him.

“Ahh, Jim are you seeing what I am seeing?” Harvey was still sure he was seeing things as he leant over to stop Jim from immediately hopping out of the car by grabbing his arm and pointing to the two figures. At first, all Jim notices is a very upset Edward Nygma, which given the situation was understandable. He did not quite understand the relationship between his former co-worker and the mayor but he knew that at this point they were close friends, something he would have never guessed if he had not seen what he had seen in Ed’s apartment back when Galavan was mayor.

“Ed looks upset, that’s understandable, he and Oswald seem to be good friends, as hard as that is to believe.” sighed Jim as he rubbed his face in annoyance. Jim really was not in the mood to deal with Edward Nygma right now.

“I’m talking about the woman with him, doesn’t she look an awful lot like Kristen?” at this point, the mystery woman had turned around pulling her phone from her bag and stepping away from Edward to answer it and Jim got his first good look at her and Harvey was right. Change her hair colour from blonde to red and give her a pair of glasses and he would believe that was Kristen standing there if he had not been there when they exhumed her body from the makeshift grave in the forest he would believe that was her standing there.

“Ed must have a very specific type he likes huh Jim?” nudged Harvey as the woman returned to the car and gave Edward a kiss on the forehead before closing the passenger door and then walking around the car and hopping into the driver's seat. If Edward had noticed either of them there he did not acknowledge it as the car drove past them with his head down and eyes just seeming to stare at nothing. Not far from the entrance to the carpark someone else was watching Edward Nygma and Isabella leave the hospital and had also noticed the presence of the two detectives. Victor Zsasz stood not too far away from the entranceway but was out of the direct sight of both Jim and Harvey. 

Butch had left the assassin alone at the bench not long after their little talk to go and check on things at the club and to let Tabitha know that Barbara was likely not going to return to work today. Having finished the packet of cigarettes Zsasz had planned on leaving the hospital grounds to clear his head, perhaps go somewhere nearby to get breakfast for himself and Barbara that was not from the hospital cafe and a new packet of smokes he was going to need more to keep his head on straight till Oswald woke up, god all he wanted right now was for Oswald to just wake up. He stopped, however, when he saw Edward running out of the hospital. 

Always running away, Edward was always running away from his responsibilities to Oswald lately, he was never there for him when Oswald needed him most! Then he saw that woman leaving with him, no she was leading him away. Corralling him would be the best word to describe it perhaps. She seemed very determined to get Edward away from the hospital. Victor did not think much of it, she did not know the full situation of what was going on. 

Nothing more than an outsider looking in.

Now, Jim Gordon, he was not an outsider and he was also someone Victor did not want to see anywhere near Oswald right now. He did not care for Oswald at all. He was the kind of person that was only around Oswald when it was convenient for him. That was not friendship, that was someone using a person for their own benefit and then throwing them away like a piece of garbage when they had outlived their purpose. You know, like throwing someone away in Arkham to cover up for their own mistakes. Jim Gordon was not welcome here at all right now.

Jim and Harvey were still talking about Ed and the mysterious woman as they made their way into the hospital. “How is it that someone like Nygma can get a girl like that looking after him When decent guys like you and me Jim can not even get a one night stand lately?” grumbled Harvey as they approached the reception desk to the hospital. Behind the desk a cute young redhead sat typing at the computer. She looked up at the two nervously tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Can I help you gentleman?”

“Yes, we are with the GCPD ma’am, we are here to get a statement about the Mayor’s condition and find out what happened to him,” answered Jim with a pleasant smile.

“The mayor is currently in the Intensive Care Unit, but I would be very careful going down there. There are some really scary people keeping an eye on him” she replied in a timid voice

“Scary people, what kind of scary people?” asked Harvey

“A big Italian man that doesn’t say much looks kind of whipped, to be honest, a really loud blonde woman who keeps yelling at staff and a really creepy bald man in black. The bold man, all the security around here told everyone to completely avoid him, something about him being really dangerous. I saw him when I was on my break, he looked really sad.”

Butch being there did not come as much of a surprise seeing as he always seemed to be not far away from Oswald when the two were not at each other's throats. What came as a surprise to both detectives was the fact that Barbara Keen and an upset Victor Zsasz were also there. They knew that Barbara was on Penguin’s books but never figured the two would be friends and no one in the city really knew where Victor Zsasz stood since Falcone stepped down from being the Don of the city’s many gangs, though everyone figured the assassin worked for Penguin now but did both of them being there at the hospital mean that they were actual friends with Oswald? After getting directions from the receptionists to the ICU ward they thanked her and headed there and upon arriving they spotted Barbara standing outside the ward.

What neither man realised as they made their way down the hallway was that someone else was right behind them.

“And the great Jim Gordon returns to active duty with GCPD, you just could not stay away could you Jimmy boy?” sneered Barbara as the two detectives approached her “Let me guess no one else wanted to check up on the Mayor?”

“Something like that…” mumbled Harvey 

“What’s going on Barbara what happened to Oswald? Who did this to him?” asked Jim worry clear in his voice.

Barbara opened her mouth to answer them but was quickly interrupted by a voice that came from behind Harvey and Jim.

“Are you asking as a member of the GCPD or as his friend Jim?” standing right behind them was a very tired looking Victor Zsasz and they both were surprised at the state he was in when they turned around. Neither detective had ever seen the man in such a state, his eyes were bloodshot and swollen as if he had been crying and there were also dark bags under his eyes and as soon as Jim turned around those still sharp eyes had him glued in place.

“Victor, don’t…” Barbara called out to the assassin, Victor had been on edge for over a month now. Each day he grew more and more protective of Oswald and the look on his face as he stood behind Jim was the look of an attack dog ready to bite. She knew she had no way of stopping what was about to happen, but at this point, she just really did not want to see Victor getting arrested because that was news that she did not want to give Oswald when he woke up.

“Would you believe that after everything you put him through, even after locking him away in Arkham for a crime you committed and not him…” Victor let out a chilling chuckle before he continued “After all that he still considers you of all people his friend!” he was right in Jim’s face as he spat out the last question and Jim could smell cheap tobacco on the assassin’s breath. 

Since when had Victor smoked? 

“Tell me something Jim, are you here as a friend or out of your own guilt? Here because now that something has happened to him you can’t just ignore him any longer! He wanted so much to be a good friend to you Jim, an actual friend not some patsy for you to use! But was it perhaps that you are too much of a good cop to be friends with a mobster is that it!” Victor’s face was going red with rage as the volume of his voice continued to rise to the point that he was yelling in Jim’s face and his hands had grabbed hold of Jim’s shirt, and the truth was Jim knew deep down he could not deny any of what Victor was saying.

He had used Oswald for his own benefit and had justified it to himself but telling himself that Oswald was the bad guy in all this and that he was the good guy, but the longer he was in the job here in a city of Gotham the line between good and bad just seemed to blur further and further each day. Gotham was a city with corrupt lazy police officers and the kind of city where a known mob boss was chosen by the people to become its mayor. Jim had found it so unbelievable that Oswald had won the election cleanly and had done his own investigation to see if it was true. What that investigation had revealed was even more shocking.

Butch had tried to buy the election for Oswald, and Edward Nygma had gone and taken back every single bribe and had told every constitute that Oswald had wanted to clean election and it was upon hearing this that people had begun to really believe in Oswald. It left Jim questioning if he really knew the kind of men both Oswald and Edward were, they both had so far done so much right by the city. Had Jim been wrong about both of them? No, they were still cold-blooded killers that much he did know, but what did that say about Gotham when men like Oswald and Edward were the kind that could be trusted? 

At that admission to himself, Jim could feel bile and disgust rise in his throat and he did not know if it was for himself or the city.

He let out a long sigh before staring Victor Zsasz in the eyes and owning his own personal truth.

“You’re right Victor, I don’t deserve to be his friend.”

Whatever Victor was about to continue saying halted in the man’s throat as he went silent and just stared at Jim and slowly let him go. Victor could not believe what he was hearing, and for a moment wondered if his sleep-deprived mind was playing games with him. No, it was not a game he could see the bitter regret on Jim Gordon’s face. This was all about guilt. In any other circumstance knowing that Jim was causing his own internal pain would have made Victor smile, but he did not have it in him right now to enjoy Jim’s awkward self-induced pain.

“He did this to himself, Jim... there is nothing here to investigate.” Victor’s voice was barely a whisper as he pushed past both Jim and Barbara and went into the observation room to watch Oswald through the glass. He was not going to let him out of his sight again any time soon.

Jim was left dumbfounded by the admission from the assassin as he left them there in the hallway and he looked up at Barbara, searching her face, her eyes for any sign that what was just said was not true. Her face said it all at that moment, this was not a lie.

“What the hell kind of mess is this?” mumbled Harvey trying to wrap his head around what he had just witnessed.

~to be Continued

 


	10. Oncoming Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> soo many feels

The moment the car pulled out of the hospital parking lot the tears began pouring in earnest from Edward’s eyes, angry tears that stung like tiny needles being stabbed into his heart. It was so clear to him now that Oswald had just been using him. He was keeping a secret so big it was hurting him and he had reached out to everyone except the person he claimed was his best friend. There were moments between them that he had thought maybe he had become more than a friend to Oswald, he thought he had become someone important to the other man. Someone he could trust. 

“I am such an idiot…” he mumbled to himself between sobs, before yelling at himself, “I thought he was my friend!” a gentle hand was immediately on his knee after the outburst.

“People like that don’t know how to be friends Ed, they just use people. Take advantage of any kindness that comes their way. You do not need people like that in your life. You don’t deserve to be treated like that Edward. You are too good for that” commented Isabella as she car came to a stop at a red traffic light placing her hand reassuringly on his knee to try and calm him.

“You don’t know that…” mumbled Ed as he wiped his tears on the sleeve on his shirt.

“I’ve done so many bad things...things I use to be proud of, but now they just disgust me. I thought I was like him, thought I had to be like him to be the real me. I was happy being his friend, the happiest I have ever been in a long time…” 

“You're not happy with me Ed?” there was a sorrowful pain in her voice as she asked him, of course, she would take offence to him saying something like that. She was so kind, gentle and patient with him. She did not judge or try to change him like everyone else and now he had gone and made her feel like she did not matter to him. He could feel a new kind of guilt curl itself in his stomach. He nervously looked up at her as the traffic light changed and she turned to face the road once again.

“Yes, of course, I am happy with you Isabella, you make me feel safe and loved like I never have before. Please don’t ever doubt that I do love you”

She smiled at him “Only if you promise to never doubt that I love you too Edward and I only ever want the best for you” that affirmation of love was enough in that moment to calm Ed as he looked back down into his lap, clenching his eyes shut as he fought off more tears that threatened to spill. He was so grateful he had someone as wonderful as Isabella by his side. 

Meanwhile back at the hospital just outside the ICU, a heavy silence hung in the air between the three people standing there. Neither of the men standing there would have ever thought that someone with as much fight and tenacity as The Penguin would be capable of something like this to himself. Oswald Cobblepot was a man who had already survived so much. He was the kind of criminal who stayed alive just to spite the police and after everything he had done, to go out like this? It left them both wondering how much they knew about the criminal kingpin that had become Mayor of Gotham.

“You are wrong about both of them Jim.” it was Barbara who broke the silence between the three of them and both Jim and Harvey gave her a questioning look.

“About Oswald and Ed. They aren’t as bad as you made them out to be.” she clarified.

“Because you are such a good judge of character. Need I remind you of The Ogre and Gallavan?” grumbled Harvey with nothing but spite for her in his voice. Zsasz told them there was nothing to investigate, which either meant they were hiding something that would just mean more work for the GCPD if they got involved or that something was personally wrong with the mayor which meant Jim would want to know what and want to help. He stood by what he had said earlier this was just a big fucking mess he wanted nothing to do with.

“Like you’re really going to judge me, Harvey? From what I have heard you had a pretty close ‘relationship’ with Fish Mooney” smirked Barbara as Harvey gave her a startled look of shock, how the hell did Barbara know about that? That thought must have been written all over his face because Barbara answered that question next.

“What you think we don’t gossip when the big bad GCPD are not around, you forget Butch used to work for her and let’s not forget where Oswald started, he worked really close with her near the end.” 

They had been some fun drinks nights at The Sirens when they would all gather to just chill out, heck they were even civil amongst themselves and to each other on those nights. even Oswald and Tabitha. The hate was still there but they were able to tolerate each other a lot more once there was a decent amount of alcohol in their systems.

“Where are you going with this Barbara?” interrupted Jim hoping to defuse the situation, he knew that the subject of Fish Mooney was still an open wound for Harvey and Barbara’s comment was more than rubbing salt into the wound, it was like pouring vinegar on it and he wanted to defuse the situation before Harvey would do something both of them would regret.

“You never trusted Oswald Jim and you should have. He was being genuine with you when he wanted to be your friend back then and I am just going to say it the GCPD has lost a great mind, Ed loved his job with the GCPD. The people he worked with not so much.”

“He killed his girlfriend who worked with us, Barbara! And killed two cops! Then he to framed me for the murder of those cops!” growled Jim, he was almost in her face at this point and it was Harvey’s turn to pull his partner away from the blonde.

“Do you know the why behind it though? Why he chose you Jim?” replied the blonde calmly. Jim had always been so self-righteous that he just could not see the obvious staring at him in the face sometimes.

“The why does not matter!” he practically spat in her face and she wiped her face nonchalantly at the aggressive display.

“It’s because you left his only friend in Arkham for a crime he did not commit.” she glared at him, staring him down like the mad bull he was making himself out to be, ‘typical Jim’ she could not help but think as she watched him only for Harvey to interrupt the train of thought.

“Hold on, they were friends back then?” he figured that they had all ended up at Ed’s apartment back because Ed had somehow rescued Jim and then had been hiding him in his apartment, but he was instead of hiding Penguin?

“When I woke up in Ed’s apartment they were both there… singing, like they were old friends,” commented Jim answering the unasked question from Harvey. No one had asked back then how he got there but he would never forget waking up to the sound of the two of them singing at Ed’s piano. They were so comfortable in each other’s presence. Something that had been so disconcerting to Jim back then, back when he did not know yet what Ed had done to both Officer Dougherty and Miss Kringle. It felt so odd seeing Ed being so chumming with anyone but the fact it was a known criminal like Oswald was just so out of the left-field for him. The whole situation felt wrong. 

“Ed saved Oswald after he was shot by Tabitha. Found him in the woods when he was burying Kringle. Brought him home and took the bullet out himself and also helped Oswald through the grieving process of his mother. Also, did you know it was Edward who collected Gertrude from the city morgue and paid in full for her funeral, out of his own savings without asking for anything in return from Oswald?” Barbara could not help but smile at the memory of when she had found out this little piece of information. 

Another drinking session at The Sirens, one of the last that Ed had attended, she had decided to ask the two of them how they had met initially. Oswald mentioned the annoying encounter at the GCPD when Ed had given him trivia about male emperor penguins which had earned a loud snicker from both Butch and Tabitha. Then Edward had told them about finding Oswald in the woods when he was burying his former girlfriend and how he had removed the bullet from Oswald’s shoulder and nursed him back to health before they finally took down Theo. During this part of the story, Tabitha had become very silent and then chose to leave the group to ‘go and check on something outback’. He then mentioned in passing how after everything was said and done with Theo he had collected Oswald’s mother from the city morgue to make sure she was properly buried. After that Oswald suddenly, to everyone’s surprise, started crying before turning to Ed and telling him he never thanked him properly for taking care of his mother when he had been unable to make arrangements for her funeral and that he really should pay him back for the expenses. Edward scoffed at the offer and told Oswald he had already done enough to thank him when he got him out of Arkham and had pulled the smaller man into the most adorable hug Barbara had ever seen.

They could have been so happy together if only that woman had not shown up. 

“If they are such good friends why is Nygma not here? He looked really upset when we saw him leave as we arrived,” said Harvey

“I got into an argument with him not too long ago. For a genius, that man is a fucking idiot. It was so obvious to anyone watching those two…”

“What is obvious Barbara?” asked Jim curiosity peaked as to what Barbara had noticed. She had always been so good at reading people when they were together, she could always see when he was trying to hide something from her.

“That they clearly love each other.” she huffed

 

~To be Continued

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you for the continuing support of this fic, despite the slow updates. I really hope everyone is still enjoying this fic!


	11. Always the Loyal Guard Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the penny drops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapters in one week? Hope you have the tissues ready I must confess I got a bit emotional writing this chapter

He thought he was getting better, it was the only reason he had left him alone. Through the whole night since arriving at the hospital that is what had been going through Victor’s head. Then the cause of all of Oswald’s heartbreak had arrived acting like he suddenly cared what Oswald was going through. The moment he saw the blonde woman with him, his gut twisted with absolute disgust he could not stay there. Not with them there. 

Damn it. Why was it that when it came to Oswald he just lost control of everything. He never should have caved in to his own desires that first night when they had found him bathed under the moonlight in a pool of his own blood. He told himself it would be just one time. To help bring the other man back from the edge, to ground him and help him forget how worthless he had felt about himself. To show him he was not unlovable, that he was desirable. Then he went back again and again and again. Why did he keep doing that? 

It went against everything he held himself to. Keep everything professional, no personal attachments and yet somehow Oswald Cobblepot got under his skin and years of cold unmoving personal armour was slowly falling away and he could feel his emotions for the other bubbling to the surface and in his profession, he knew how dangerous that could be.

He had come to realize that night that this was far more than just loyalty to his boss. This was so different from how things had been with Falcone. Falcone had at most been a father figure to the assassin, someone he looked up to and respected. He was in no way expecting the same connection with Oswald as he had with Falcone, but at the same time, he never expected things to turn out the way they had. No one ever looked at him the way Oswald did. 

To everyone else, he was just nothing more than hired muscle, an assassin or an employee with a special skill set. Victor knew how others saw him. To some a monster to be feared, a rabid dog trained into a guard dog for one of the most powerful crime families in the city. That fear was there when they had first worked together under Falcone’s orders, then that fear turned to respect and admiration. Then somehow it had turned into a sort of friendship, it was more than a professional obligation at that point. 

Was it more than friendship at this point?

Victor Zsasz was not a man that did friendship. Friends got in the way, could be used against oneself. The closest thing to friends he had in his life were the girls that worked with him, but being friendly with them was just part of the job. A way to maintain loyalty, at the end of the day when it came to their personal lives at best they were roommates since for convenience they all lived together. Ok maybe some of the girls were his friends in their mind, but not his. They knew to keep a professional distance from him when they were not on the job. Oswald was fun to be around. He always wanted to listen to him, no one was ever like that with him before. Oswald wanted to know every detail about the jobs he was given, he enjoyed listening to Victor’s stories and laughed at his morbid jokes about killing like it was just normal gossip, heck the man even made a few jokes of his own that had Victor laughing.

As Victor stood there in the ICU alone staring at Oswald hooked up to the machines on the other side of the glass all he could think about at that moment, was how much he wanted to hear the other man laugh again just see him smile at him. Heck at this point he would even be happy to have the other man crying in his arms about Edward again as long as it meant he was awake. He wasn’t ready to have a life without Oswald Cobblepot in it, just the thought made him feel sick to his stomach and made his head feel the worst kind of fuzziness like his brain was on the edge of a bad hangover.

He brought his hand up to his face to wipe the sweat he could feel on his cheek. Wait sweat didn’t trickle from one’s eyes… Victor Zsasz was crying. How long had he been standing there staring at Oswald crying? As soon as he realised he was crying it his walls came crumbling down and like a torrent decades of unshed tears began to flow. The feeling was so overwhelming he could not even stand and he felt his knees give underneath himself as he slumped to the floor.

At that moment all he wanted was for Oswald to wake up, to just wake up and let him hold him so that Oswald could hold him back. He wanted to feel him stroke his face as he buried his nose into Oswald’s hair. 

Is this what love is? 

Fuck, he loved Oswald.

Is this the feeling that had left Oswald feeling so desperate to have it returned from Edward Nygma? 

The feeling that had just about pushed the other over the edge. 

Was this feeling why the thought of Edward Nygma made him feel so much anger?

Was that feeling jealousy?

 _“They clearly love each other…”_ that was Barbara’s voice on the other side of the door. 

What does she mean each other? Who was she talking about? She had better not be talking about him! 

He heard a laugh, clearly coming from Harvey Bullock _“Hate to break it to you Barbara but Edward Nygma is straight!”_

She was gossiping about Oswald and Edward to Jim and Harvey at a time like this. Wait did she just say that Edward loved Oswald and why did that implication make him feel happy? 

 _“You all thought I was straight”_ he could hear the smirk in her voice. 

If Edward loved Oswald, then the boss could get better. He would not need him there to look after him anymore. A part of Victor felt bitter about that, why should Edward get to be there and comfort Oswald when he was the cause of all the pain. If Edward loved Oswald why wasn’t he at Oswald’s side?

Why couldn’t he be enough at Oswald’s side? He would never do anything to hurt him.

 _“I think it is safe for us to assume the woman we saw Edward Nygma leaving the hospital with is his girlfriend Barbara. If he loves Oswald why does he have a girlf_ _riend?”_ that was Jim Gordon’s voice, so Jim and Harvey had seen them leave as well? 

 _“She was practically babying him in the parking lot”_ grumbled Harvey

_“That’s the part in all this that made no sense. All the interactions between Oswald and Edward. I’m telling you right now they were on the brink of something happening between the two of them. Then this Isabella woman shows up and takes Ed’s attention away from Oswald. I’m telling you there is something not right about this woman.”_

Could that be true? Wait in one of Oswald’s breakdowns while crying in Victor’s arms after another of their ‘comfort sessions’ Oswald had cried about how he never got the chance to tell Ed how he felt, he had made big plans to open his heart to Edward and confess only to be stood up because it had been the night the other man had met his precious Isabella.

There is no way the timing could be that perfect, it was impossible, right? There’s no one who could…

_“You sure you were not seeing something that was not there Barbara?”_

Barbara was not the only one to see it. Anyone who watched Oswald close enough would see the way Oswald eyes always followed Ed. It was subtle but if someone was looking for a weakness to use against Oswald, they would have picked up on it.

_“I know I saw Edward Nygma drunk off his ass staring at Oswald the same way you use to stare at me and the same from Oswald towards Ed! Then this woman shows up just when something was about to happen and get this she flirted with Ed by telling him a riddle!”_

_“Fuck that would be a walking wet dream for Nygma” commented Harvey_

She knew exactly what to say to lure Ed in, that would have been a very specific detail to know about the other man. Which would mean that once they worked out Ed was a weakness for Oswald they would have to figure out how to play them. But who would want to get rid of Oswald? That would be a list a mile long at this point. Gang leaders, politicians, those within the GCPD. Heck, there was still fallout from the takedown from Maroni being killed and Falcone stepping down. 

Damn now he wished he could have taken a better look at the woman at Edward’s side. If she was one of Falcone’s he would have recognized her immediately or at the very least she would have recognized him and would have most certainly panicked. 

Could someone from the Maroni family be behind this? It was possible, the motive was there, but he just could not think who. They were all meathead thugs, no one in the ranks would be smart enough to pull this off. 

Unless… no, it couldn’t be, could it? Images of a young brunette teenage girl being hugged close by Salvatore Maroni as he kissed her forehead lovingly passed through his mind, a mischievous gleam in the girl’s eyes that matched that of her fathers.

_“What was this woman that gave you a bad feeling like?” asked Gordon._

Yes, what was she like?

_“It was like her emotions were fake she seemed bored to be here like it was a hassle.” Barbara let out an annoyed sigh before continuing “I thought I was getting through to Ed. He got really upset when he saw Oswald, was angry because he thought Oswald was hiding a big secret from him. He wasn’t wrong about that and I tried to tell him that, but just as I was about to tell him that it’s because Oswald loves him, she turned the whole conversation around. Made it sound like Oswald was jealous and that he was only using Ed.”_

No, there was no way it could be her. Why would she reappear now? 

_“And as they left she had this shit-eating smile on her face like she had won.”_

Victor did not hear anymore of the conversation after that. Of course, she would reappear now. She was good at the long game, one to bide her time, a thorn in the Falcone family’s side as a teenager. She had caused trouble in school for both of Falcone’s children especially young Sofia, starting several rumours throughout the school to isolate the youngest Falcone when she was younger.

He was so lost in thought that he did not hear Barbara enter the room and he visibly jumped when she placed a hand on his shoulder but didn’t turn to face her.

“Victor, there is something I need to talk to you about.” she sounded as exhausted as he felt.

“I heard you talking to Gordon and Bullock.” his voice was so cold and hollow it sounded alien even to himself.

“How...how much did you hear?” her voice stuttered, shit he had scared her he didn’t mean to do that, not Barbara.

“I heard enough. I think you are right about this woman Bab’s and I think I might know who she really is, but first I need to ask you something.” he turned to face her and Barbara gasped and covered her mouth with her hand in shock as she met his eyes. 

She had never seen so much raw emotion on his face. Every fibre of her body wanted in that moment to comfort the man in front of her, but the look of fire in his eyes made her hold back. He was a cornered beast ready to strike anyone who came close. It was her own trust she had in the man that was stopping her from backing away from him. He turned and faced Oswald laying in the hospital bed.

“Do you really think Edward Nygma loves him?” his voice came out calm but Victor’s whole body shook with emotion as he asked her.

“I’m pretty sure Victor” replied Barbara.

“I hope you are right because if not, neither of them will be saved from this.” and with that Victor Zsasz left the room. He was going to save Oswald and if that meant he had to save Edward Nygma in the process, then he would do that for Oswald.

~to be Continued


End file.
